


Deep

by Dazzledfirestar



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Hospitalization, Jasper Sitwell is Not Hydra, M/M, Other, Triple Agent Sitwell, Undercover, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 08:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8394451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzledfirestar/pseuds/Dazzledfirestar
Summary: There's little Jasper Sitwell will not do for SHIELD. Even less that he won't do for Nick.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TeaJay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaJay/gifts).



> written for the marvel poc fanworks exchange. My recipent wanted triple agent Sitwell and I was so happy to oblige!

Everything hurt. Everything. He knew people said that a lot but this time? This time it was absolutely true. Everything hurt. But through that he still had the sense that he should be awake. Planning. Working on some way to get out of wherever the hell he was. He was sure Rogers had pulled off whatever he was planning—or rather Romanoff had because, yeah. That’s how that was going to work—and… 

Something was missing. He couldn’t remember…

He had to get out. To get up but the drugs, the pain… it all worked together to drag him back under again.

Maybe it was better that way, he figured. He’d never been the daring escape type anyway.

~*~*~*~

“No.”

“No? Coulson this isn’t your call.”

Jasper shifted in his seat a little, looking at Phil and Nick, back and forth. “He’s got a point, Director…” Jasper cleared his throat, his eyes catching sight of his own hand. “I mean I’m not exactly going to… blend in in that kind of crowd.”

“Exactly.” Phil nodded, sitting back down. 

“Coulson’s really more their type.”

“Hey!”

“Nobody’s going to believe that Captain America’s #1 fan is part of this.” Nick sighed and shook his head. “I need someone to figure out what the hell is going on. I can’t do it. They won’t take Phil. Or Romanoff or Barton. I need you to do this.” Nick looked up at him. “But you gotta know what you’re getting into first, Sitwell.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nick—not director fury, but Nick—leaned over his desk. “Jasper. I mean it. This is off the books. If shit hits that fan, you’ll get painted with that brush too. Whatever they are, whatever you find, if it goes down before we can get you out, everybody’s going to think it’s you.”

“I know. But there’s no guarantee they’ll take me in. I’m good…” he heard Phil smirk. Heard it. “But like I said, if they’ve got white supremacist ties, they won’t be all that welcoming.” He sighed and sat back, looking at both men. “But I’ll give it my best shot.”

“I know you will.” Nick gave him a tired smile. “I don’t want to believe it’s what it looks like. And if it isn’t, we’ll get you out first thing.” He sat down. “You’ll meet Secretary Pierce at the event next week. Some fundraiser thing. I’ll make the introductions. I don’t want to think Alex is in on this but… he’s a good contact to have either way.”

Nick kept talking, specs and parameters. Jasper knew deep cover protocols. He’d done all this even before for SHIELD and for the FBI before that. This felt different though. The way Nick didn’t really relax. The way Phil was still silently protesting next to him. He could do it. They both knew that but something about this felt… off. Really off. Not just magic hammer in the desert, guy in a flying metal suit off either. Something was wrong and if he could help get that figured out, well… he would.

“Jas?”

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Nick and Phil both staring at him. “Yeah, I was just thinking…”

Nick’s eyebrow went up a little. Phil was studying him like he was under glass. No doubt looking for a crack. Any excuse to say that no, they can find somebody else. And Jasper got it. He really did. He didn’t want to send Phil into a situation like that either. Or Nick. But somebody had gotten into SHIELD and they had to get them out again. For that they needed information. And Jasper was willing to admit he was ridiculously good at getting information.

People liked him. Even people who should and would hate him on principle.

“There’s this new Moroccan place I want to try… before I have to be all uptight and evil. You guys up for it?” He smiled. “Might as well have something normal beforehand right? Come on, give me the whole ‘remember what you’re fighting for’ speech.” His smile switched to a smirk and that got a laugh from both men.

This would work out. He could pull this off. He knew it. They knew it.

But he’d definitely miss the dinner dates.

~*~*~*~*~

“Good evening, Mr. Zapada.” The voice woke him a little bit. Sounded like the night staff was coming on. “Just going to check your blood pressure and make sure you’re all set.” Zapada… that was his mother’s maiden name. How had they gotten that? Why was she calling him that? The drugs and pain rushed back and…

He couldn’t remember…

She sounded nice. Competent. But he couldn’t really bring himself to open his eyes and check to be sure. For all he knew, she was filling one of the IV bags with something lethal. Not that he could do anything about it at that point but at least, with any luck, if she was Hydra, he’d die in his sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~

“It’s cold…” He hated the very strong urge to grumble. The cabin was gorgeous. The view picture perfect. Like something out of a Christmas card but… “Did we really have to come out here in February?”

“Well,” Nick smiled and handed him a cup of coffee—the good stuff—with a chuckle. “Usually the warmer it gets out, the crazier all those ‘unexplained phenomenon’ get so… I thought it was worth a shot.”

Jasper sighed, taking a small sip and leaning into Nick for a little extra warmth. “Fair enough. Phil still asleep?”

“Mhmm. You could be too, you know.”

“Same goes.” Jasper couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Even the Director of SHIELD needs a break every so often.”

“You trying to tell me I’m only human?”

“Not in so many words. I wouldn’t want to offend.” Jasper smirked, just a little before he looked up at Nick. “But you are.”

“I will take that under advisement, Agent Sitwell.”

“Your consideration is always appreciated, sir.” Jasper stretched up, pressing a quick, soft and oh-so-cold kiss to Nick’s lips. He was about to suggest they go back inside—the cold was going to ruin the very good coffee—when there was a tap on the window.

“There’s a pull out couch and a picture window… why are you out there?”

Try as he might, Jasper couldn’t really argue with Phil’s logic.

~*~*~*~  
He was moving. Maybe. Maybe the room was just spinning but it definitely felt like some kind of movement was going on. A small jolt to the bed—gurrey? Where was he exactly?—drew a weak groan from him. He couldn’t make out the words but the nurse from earlier was talking very animatedly with someone.

He managed to put meaning to a few words. Witness. Congress. Hearings.

That didn’t bode well. But he couldn’t quite pin down why…

He groaned again as he seemed to be lifted up.

“We can up the dose for transfer.” The nurse’s voice sounded again. Before he could say anything or indicate that he was awake, the drugs washed over him.

Sleep really did seem like the best option with all this noise and crap going on. It wasn’t like he could get a read on anything anyway.

The thing was, among the noise he heard a voice… British, young, woman… his brain provided the pretty and genius parts but he was still too drugged up to put it all together. She didn’t sound safe exactly—that headache was murder—but she was close.

“We’ll have you home in no time… Mr. Zapada.”

He would have smiled… but she was still a horrible liar.

~*~*~*~*~

He channeled it. Put it all into what he had to do. Nick had given him a job to do, it still needed to get done. He still could talk to Phil, get this torn down before it went any further. He put on his best game face, gave his best ‘get the job done’ speech. Watched as Sharon Carter silently crossed him off the trusted ally list.

And then walked calmly to the nearest, emptiest men’s room and threw up for ten minutes.

Director Fury is dead.

Nick is dead.

The words in different combinations over and over ran through his head. Making his stomach heavy. Making his brain spin and all he wanted to do was call Phil. Find out what happened past the report that really reads like fiction more than anything else. He wanted to collapse under the weight and the grief and give up.

But he had a cover to maintain… such as it was. At least until he could make contact. Assuming they didn’t kill Phil in the meantime.

That thought brought on another wave of nausea and he had to brace himself against the counter as he splashed cold water on his face to get his act together again. He took a deep breath, put his glasses back on, cleared his throat and headed back out as he phone started to ring.

“Agent Sitwell.”

“Sir?”

“Senator Stern is requesting a meeting. I’m sure you can understand I don’t have time for that at this point.”

“Of course, Mr. Secretary.” Jasper could feel the bile rising again. God almighty he hated Senator Stern.

“You deserve a nice lunch, Agent. Take the meeting.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

Maybe he could just choke on the crab cakes and end it all…

~*~*~*~*~

He wasn’t really sure where he was, how long he’d been out but he knew he was waking up. Really waking up. Enough to open his eyes and see the blur around him and everything. 

Predictably, opening his eyes didn’t help. But the room wasn’t as bright as he was expecting. There was no white washed walls or the hum of florescent bulbs going on. If he had to guess, wherever he was old… really old. 

But the sounds of the machines around him told him everything was up to date and working as he would expect the highest level of medical care to work. Even the drugs were the good ones… he felt tired, dozy but not completely clueless. It was nice. He wasn’t used to it anymore.

“Ah, welcome back.”

There was that chipper, British voice again. This time he could see a blur that could be the woman he thought he’d heard earlier… how much earlier was a guess at best. He nodded a little, not trying to talk. The tube in his throat made that tricky and he wasn’t in the mood to fight that.

“You’ll have company soon, I expect. It’s good to see you again, Agent Sitwell.” 

He let his eyes close again and wondered who the company would be. Agent Simmons knowing him told him at least Phil made it out which meant all his work wasn’t for nothing. That they were in wherever they were in told him that at least something of SHIELD had survived. Past that, his brain didn’t really want to think too hard.

He could grieve properly. Later. When he could talk and swallow and maybe sit up.

He didn’t really get to doze off though as the company showed up. He never thought he’d be so happy to see Phil smirk at him.

“You scared the hell out of me…” Phil actually chuckled, reaching over and picking something up from somewhere nearby. A moment later, the smirk got clearer and Phil slid Jasper’s glasses on. “Nick’s—“

Jasper tried to swallow past the lump in his throat and shook his head a little, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn’t want to hear it again.

“Hey… Hey, no. Nick’s going to be here in a couple days. He’s the one that set you up where you were until we were ready for you.” Phil’s hand moved over one of the small part of Jasper’s arm that wasn’t covered in casts and bandages. “He’s okay. I promise. He just… had a rough ride.”

No shit… He would have laughed, because between the drugs and knowing Nick Fury for as long and as well as he did, he can believe it. But instead of that, a tear slid past his defenses. “Jas, we’re going to be okay. You’re home.”

With that, he finally relaxed. Because for once in what seemed like forever; in the long, long months in Hydra, he believed it again. Phil was right.

It was going to be fine.

He was finally home.


End file.
